A recent incident at the field has prompted this correspondence to all of us.

As
you know we share the air space with the full scale pilots and it is
imperative we keep a good relationship with them. It is also important
to remember that the full scale pilots have first claim at the field at
all times, so what does that mean.

We are and have been in
good gracious with Jim at the flying field, the full scale pilot next
to us at the field for some time. I have been doing some mowing for him
and jack with the big tractor all spring and early summer. We have
moved some junk for him and just trying to be a good neighbor.

They
have right of way at all times for takeoff and landing, if they are
working in front of their hanger on their airplane we do not fly next
or near them at any time (This is Primarily Jims Hanger right to the
south of us). If we are at the field and Jim pulls his airplane out of
his hanger that means we stop flying it’s that simple. If he takes off
we can resume flying until his return. If he is bringing it out to work
on it which is rare we must not fly. Also if you happen to crash your
rc airplane into his airplane you will be responsible for any and all
expenses for repair of his airplane not the club and that could get
real expensive real fast. AMA will not help you in this situation
either.

In addition it is real important that anyone flying
at the field belong to AMA and our club before flying. On a rare
occasion if we are buddy boxing someone that would be the exception.

Please
don’t take this notice negatively but Jim has expressed his concerns
and this is the policy at the field from now on. We have come too far
to have our flying field revoked because of doing something
unintentional and or accidentally crashing into Jims Airplane.

10-18-17

Dec 15, 2015

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE IF YOU FLY ANY RC AIRCRAFT.

The
FAA has announced a registration process for hobbyists who fly RC
aircraft. I STRONGLY suggest that EVERYBODY read the FAQ page they have
(link at the end) and demonstrate that we modelers are responsible
pilots by registering as soon as possible after the website opens on
December 21, 2015.

Here are relevant highlights:1. Registration is free for the first 30 days. You pay 5 bucks online via credit card and they refund it.2. You only register YOURSELF, get a number and put it somewhere on each of your aircraft.

HERE IS WHAT THE FAA SAYS ABOUT THAT:A.
You will receive a unique registration number that applies to any and
all UAS that you own. You must mark all of your UAS with the unique
registration number before operating. A registration certificate that
contains the unique FAA registration number, the issue and expiration
dates, and the name of the certificate holder will be sent to your
email address immediately.B. You will receive a unique
registration number, not an N-number, and you must mark the
registration number on your UAS by some means that is legible and
allows the number to be readily seen. The registration number may be
placed in a battery compartment as long as it can be accessed without
the use of tools.C. You may use any method to affix the number,
such as permanent marker, label, engraving, or other means, as long as
the number is readily accessible and maintained in a condition that is
readable and legible upon close visual inspection. If your unmanned
aircraft has an easily accessible battery compartment you may affix the
number in that compartment.

3. You can continue to operate your RC aircraft as we have done for decades (http://www.faa.gov/uas/faq/#qn2).

Yesterday,
the AMA Executive Council unanimously approved an action plan to
relieve and further protect our members from unnecessary and burdensome
regulations. This plan addresses the recently announced interim rule
requiring federal registration of all model aircraft and unmanned
aircraft systems (UAS) weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds.

AMA
has long used a similar registration system with our members, which we
pointed out during the task force deliberations and in private
conversations with the FAA. As you are aware, AMA's safety program
instructs all members to place his or her AMA number or name and
address on or within their model aircraft, effectively accomplishing
the safety and accountability objectives of the interim rule. AMA has
also argued that the new registration rule runs counter to Congress'
intent in Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012,
otherwise known as the "Special Rule for Model Aircraft."

The
Council is considering all legal and political remedies to address this
issue. We believe that resolution to the unnecessary federal
registration rule for our members rests with AMA's petition before the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. This petition,
filed in August 2014, asks the court to review the FAA's interpretation
of the "Special Rule for Model Aircraft." The central issue is whether
the FAA has the authority to expand the definition of aircraft to
include model aircraft; thus, allowing the agency to establish new
standards and operating criteria to which model aircraft operators have
never been subject to in the past.

In promulgating its
interim rule for registration earlier this week, the FAA repeatedly
stated that model aircraft are aircraft, despite the fact that
litigation is pending on this very question. The Council believes the
FAA's reliance on its interpretation of Section 336 for legal authority
to compel our members to register warrants the Court's immediate
attention to AMA's petition.

While we continue to believe
that registration makes sense at some threshold and for flyers
operating outside of a community-based organization or flying for
commercial purposes, we also strongly believe our members are not the
problem and should not have to bear the burden of additional
regulations. Safety has been the cornerstone of our organization
for 80 years and AMA's members strive to be a part of the solution.

As
we proceed with this process, we suggest AMA members hold off on
registering their model aircraft with the FAA until advised by the AMA
or until February 19, the FAA's legal deadline for registering existing
model aircraft.

Holding off on registration will allow AMA
time to fully consider all possible options. On a parallel track, it
also allows AMA to complete ongoing conversations with the FAA about
how best to streamline the registration process for our members.

In
the near future, we will also be asking our members to make their
voices heard by submitting comments to the FAA's interim rule on
registration. We will follow-up soon with more detailed information on
how to do this.

Thank you for your continued support of AMA. We will provide you with more updates as they become available.